Oh that's gonna cause some headaches for the boys down at the Bureau of Urban Restaurant Placement. The Anti-European Food Mafia will fight pretty hard on that. Just to get Sac's in, we had to trade away Due Fratelli and a 2nd Round draft pick. I know the DOJ is looking into RICO charges against landlords willing to give up extra money by offering discounts to 99 cent stores and ethnic eateries just to make sure European foods don't get in, but I don't know how far they will get with it.

When I first got out of school and had my first post-college job, with no financial support from my folks, shopping at the 99 cent store kept me afloat. Heck, I still have some of those cooking utensils. Don't knock the 99 cent store and the people who need to shop there.

Everyone agrees that 99c stores, nail salons and pharmacies are important and serve needs.

I think the problem here (by here I mean on this board) is people simply don't understand the basic financial viability of a 99c store on every other block, a nail store on every other block, and a pharmacy on every other block, when so many other stores - which have a natural constituency in JH - cannot get a foothold AT ALL because of high rents or some other reason.

people simply don't understand the basic financial viability of a 99c store on every other block, a nail store on every other block, and a pharmacy on every other block

A few folks, kind people surely, are in denial.

Btw, I am on a fixed income. I do shop at the 99 cents+ stores. The discussion is how do they survive, not who hates whom. Can we stay on subject?

In their defense, nail salons likely pay their own way. Their price point is relatively high and turnover is generally good. Plus the business model may be independent contractors paying to have a chair and/or splitting income.

i bet a recent immigrant from Nepal/Honduras/Mongolia living on a fixed income could say the same about Lockwood or Pauglina.

I give the N-H-Ms among us more credit than you. They don't want that junk either.

I can float one idea that may explain their ability to survive, and that is one of big business owning or somehow controlling a group of stores, similar to the street vending carts model. That would also explain the new stores popping up everywhere as a new enterprise-new investment-promise of jobs, and may extend tax breaks or affect loan terms.

Not sure I should give away my newest best kept secret BUT the 99 cents stores sometimes stock incandescent bulbs. This is an amazing revelation for people like me who get headaches from LEDs. They usually say "Not for sale in USA" haha.

Is there any proof that landlords favor so-called "ethnic" restaurants over so-called "euro" eateries? In my experience, landlords only favor those who can pay the most rent. Part of Swim Two Birds problem was the application for a liquor license. Also, the owners had a less than cordial relationship with the local Community Board which has to sign off on such a permit. More importantly, if it's the landlord's fault then how come Swim Two Birds was able to sign a lease? Where's the bias?